The Role of Biochar in Regulating the Carbon, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen Cycles Exemplified by Soil Systems

Shu-Yuan Pan, Cheng-Di Dong, Jenn-Fang Su, Po-Yen Wang, Chiu-Wen Chen, Jo-Shu Chang, Hyunook Kim, Chin-Pao Huang and Chang-Mao Hung
Additional contact information
Shu-Yuan Pan: Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 10617, Taiwan
Cheng-Di Dong: Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 811213, Taiwan
Jenn-Fang Su: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Tamkang University, New Taipei City 251301, Taiwan
Po-Yen Wang: Department of Civil Engineering, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA
Chiu-Wen Chen: Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 811213, Taiwan
Jo-Shu Chang: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung City 407224, Taiwan
Hyunook Kim: School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Korea
Chin-Pao Huang: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
Chang-Mao Hung: Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 811213, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-34

Abstract: Biochar is a carbon-rich material prepared from the pyrolysis of biomass under various conditions. Recently, biochar drew great attention due to its promising potential in climate change mitigation, soil amendment, and environmental control. Obviously, biochar can be a beneficial soil amendment in several ways including preventing nutrients loss due to leaching, increasing N and P mineralization, and enabling the microbial mediation of N 2 O and CO 2 emissions. However, there are also conflicting reports on biochar effects, such as water logging and weathering induced change of surface properties that ultimately affects microbial growth and soil fertility. Despite the voluminous reports on soil and biochar properties, few studies have systematically addressed the effects of biochar on the sequestration of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in soils. Information on microbially-mediated transformation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) species in the soil environment remains relatively uncertain. A systematic documentation of how biochar influences the fate and transport of carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen in soil is crucial to promoting biochar applications toward environmental sustainability. This report first provides an overview on the adsorption of carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen species on biochar, particularly in soil systems. Then, the biochar-mediated transformation of organic species, and the transport of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in soil systems are discussed. This review also reports on the weathering process of biochar and implications in the soil environment. Lastly, the current knowledge gaps and priority research directions for the biochar-amended systems in the future are assessed. This review focuses on literatures published in the past decade (2009–2021) on the adsorption, degradation, transport, weathering, and transformation of C, N, and P species in soil systems with respect to biochar applications.

Keywords: biochar; carbon; nitrogen; phosphorus; adsorption; degradation; transport; weathering (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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